Chapter 2: Smoke and Second Chances

I pushed open the heavy oak door to my old room in the east wing, the one Theo had wordlessly steered me toward before disappearing back into the rain. The space smelled like dust and old pine needles, the kind that crawled into your lungs and refused to leave. Ten years gone, and the quilt still had the same faded blue pattern that used to make me feel safe.

My fingers brushed the rejection scar on my collarbone before I could stop them. Habit. Stupid, traitorous habit.

I dropped my duffel on the bed and sank into the chair by the window, tracing the rune stone in my pocket. Its sharp edges bit into my palm, a small anchor against the way my wolf kept circling restlessly under my skin. The compound outside looked the same—cliffs cutting sharp against the gray sky—but everything else felt wrong.

A soft knock rattled the door. I didn't need to open it to know who it was. The herbal cigarette smell gave her away.

"Loma, if you make me stand out here holding these stolen pastries any longer, I'm gonna eat them myself," Serena called, voice muffled but unmistakable.

I yanked the door open. There she was, copper braid swinging, freckles standing out against skin that had somehow stayed pale despite years in these misty woods. Her grin hit me like a warm punch to the chest.

"You look like shit," I said, but I was already pulling her into a hug that lasted too long.

She squeezed back hard enough to crack ribs. "And you look like you could bench-press an Alpha. What the hell happened to you out there?"

We broke apart, and she shoved a flaky pastry into my hand before I could protest. The sugar melted on my tongue, too sweet against the bitter knot in my throat. Serena kicked the door shut with one boot and flopped onto the bed like she owned the place, her green eyes taking in every inch of me.

"Spill," she demanded, fishing out her rolling papers. "Theo's been pacing like a caged wolf since you rolled in. Pack's buzzing worse than a kicked hive."

I took another bite of pastry to buy time. The rune stone dug deeper into my palm. "He grabbed my wrist at the gate. Magic flared. Amber light everywhere. Like my power recognized him or something."

Serena's hands paused mid-roll. Her eyes went wide, then narrowed. "Shit. The forbidden kind? The stuff that eats you from the inside if you're not careful?"

"The very same." I kept my voice even, but my cheeks heated anyway. Blushing. At thirty. Pathetic. "Blood rites. Not the nice kind. Found some texts in Seattle. Figured if Elias screwed with my line, I could screw back. But it's... unstable. My wolf feels wrong sometimes."

She lit her cigarette with a match that flared too bright. Sage smoke curled between us, familiar and grounding. "And only a true mate can stabilize it. Real convenient."

"Don't." The word came out sharper than I meant. I turned toward the window, watching the cliffs through the glass. Somewhere up there, I could feel him. Watching. The pull in my chest sharpened like a hook yanking me forward.

Serena exhaled a perfect smoke ring. "Just saying. The way he looked at you coming through those gates? Man looked ready to either kiss you or throw you over his shoulder. Maybe both."

I traced the scar again, the raised line warm under my fingertips. My laugh came out rough, like it had to scrape past old damage. "That girl got rejected on her first shift. This one won't beg."

She joined me at the window, her shoulder bumping mine. Comforting. Annoying. "Just don't forget who you are under all that fancy magic, Loma. The girl who used to sneak me cookies from the kitchen when the elders weren't looking."

The smoke from her cigarette drifted toward the cracked window. I focused on the tip, willing a tiny spark. Just a flicker. Nothing flashy.

Amber light bloomed across my fingertips. The cigarette flared to life with a whoosh that singed her fingers. Serena yelped and dropped it.

"Fuck! Warn a girl next time." She shook her hand, but her eyes sparkled with something like awe mixed with worry.

I stared at my hands. The glow faded slowly, leaving my skin too warm. "Sorry. It's touchy. Gets worse when I'm emotional."

She picked up the cigarette and took a drag like nothing happened. But her voice was softer when she spoke again. "You need to be careful. Elias has been drinking that wolf's bane tea like it's going out of style. Man's half poison himself these days. If he catches wind of what you're carrying..."

I hummed an old pack lullaby under my breath without thinking, the notes cracking halfway through. Serena didn't comment. She never did when my voice did that.

The lullaby died when I spotted movement on the cliffs. Broad shoulders. Short dark hair. Theo stood up there with a file in his hands, flipping pages like they held the secrets of the universe. Probably mine. The one with all the careful gaps I'd created over the last decade.

"He's up there brooding," I said, nodding toward him. My pulse kicked up, matching the steady thrum in my chest that I refused to name.

His head lifted suddenly, like he could feel me too. Our eyes met across the distance. Even from here, I saw his jaw clench.

He turned and disappeared into the tree line.

Serena cleared her throat. "Elders are gathering soon. Formal welcome bullshit for the Blood Moon Rite. Try not to set anyone on fire."

I managed a weak smile. "No promises."

---

The council room smelled like old wood and older grudges. I kept my chin high as I walked in with Serena at my back, the rune stone a solid weight in my pocket. The elders sat in their carved chairs, faces arranged in various degrees of disapproval. Elias wasn't there. Smart man.

Theo stood at the head of the table, arms crossed, looking every inch the Alpha. His steel-gray eyes tracked my every move. When I passed close enough, his scent hit me—coffee and storm winds. My mouth went dry.

"Paloma Ellsworth," one elder intoned. "Your return has been... anticipated."

I didn't sit. Standing felt safer. "Anticipated. That's one word for it."

Murmurs rippled through the room. Theo's gaze never wavered. I could see the muscle jumping in his jaw, that telltale sign he was holding himself back.

An older wolf leaned forward. "You've changed. That power you're carrying—it's not natural."

My fingers twitched toward the rune stone. "Neither is forcing a rejection on your son's fated mate. But here we are."

The room went dead silent. Theo's hand came down on the table hard enough to rattle the water glasses. "That's enough."

I reached for Serena's pack of cigarettes without thinking, pulling one out. She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. I focused on the tip, willing just enough power to light it cleanly. The ember caught perfectly, a small victory that tasted like ash in my mouth.

Theo's eyes darkened. He knew what that small display meant. What it cost me.

The meeting dragged on after that, all careful words and sideways glances. I answered their questions with clipped precision, feeling his stare like a brand. Every time our eyes met, the pull in my chest tightened, making my scar throb in time with my pulse.

When it finally ended, I slipped out the side door into the cool evening air. The forest beckoned, dark and full of secrets. I needed space. Air that didn't smell like him.

But of course he followed.

His footsteps were quiet for such a big man. I didn't turn around until we were deep enough that the compound lights were just pinpricks behind us. Moonlight filtered through the evergreens, turning everything silver.

"You shouldn't be wandering alone," he said, voice low and rough.

I laughed, the sound brittle. "Worried about me, Alpha? Or worried about what I might find?"

He stepped closer. Too close. His chest rose and fell too fast, like he'd run here instead of walked. The air between us felt thick enough to choke on.

"What are you doing, Paloma?" His hand lifted, hovering near my arm before dropping. "This magic... it's dangerous. You know that."

I turned to face him fully. The scar on my collarbone throbbed. I traced it deliberately, watching his eyes follow the movement. His breath hitched.

"Do you ever regret it?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. My voice cracked on the last word.

Theo's face did something complicated. He rubbed the spot over his heart without seeming to realize it.

"Paloma..."

"Don't 'Paloma' me." I stepped closer, close enough to see the silver flecks in his eyes. Close enough to feel the heat rolling off him. "You stood there that night and said the words. You watched me break. So tell me, Theo. Did it hurt you even a little?"

His hand came up then, cupping my cheek with a gentleness that didn't match the storm in his eyes. His thumb brushed my lower lip, sending sparks through my entire body. Not magic this time. Something worse.

His forehead dropped to mine. "Every damn day," he growled, the words sounding angry instead of tender.

I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to. But ten years of nights spent crying into cheap motel pillows didn't vanish with three words.

I pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. "Not enough to stop you though."

His fingers tightened on my jaw, not painfully but enough to feel claimed. For one suspended moment, I thought he might kiss me. I thought I might let him.

Then a howl cut through the night. Sharp. Warning.

Theo's head snapped toward the sound. "Border patrol. Something's wrong."

We ran toward it together, the almost-kiss lingering like smoke between us. When we reached the border, the scout lay crumpled in the dirt. His body showed signs of the same forbidden magic I carried—amber burns across his chest, eyes frozen wide in terror.

Theo dropped to his knees beside the body, checking for a pulse he wouldn't find. His shoulders tensed, the Alpha mask slamming back into place.

"This looks like..." He didn't finish the sentence. Didn't need to.

I stood frozen, rune stone clutched so tight it cut into my palm. The pack would see this magic and think of me. The outsider. The rejected one with something to prove.

Theo's eyes met mine across the dead wolf's body. For the first time since I'd returned, I saw real doubt there. Real fear.

"Tell me you didn't do this," he said, voice barely above a whisper.

My heart gave a painful lurch. I opened my mouth to answer, but the words stuck. The revenge I'd planned for ten years suddenly felt heavier with him looking at me like that.

I wasn't ready to forgive. Not even close. But standing there with the mate bond pulling at me and the scent of blood in the air, I wasn't sure revenge would taste as sweet as I'd always imagined.